Five Things for the Week – February 28-March 6, 2010

1. National Tooth Fairy Day is on February 28. They should have waited another month to release that film.
2. It’s Telecommuter Appreciation Week.
3. March is International Ideas Month and International Mirth Month. So…have Ideas about Mirth.
4. March 2 is NEA’s Read Across America Day.
5. On March 6, wish these folks Happy Birthday: Tom Arnold (51), Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (82), Dave Gilmour (66), Alan Greenspan (84), D. L. Hughley (47), Kiri Te Kanawa (66), Ben Murphy (68), Shaquille O’Neal (38), and Rob Reiner (63).

Source: Chases’s Calendar of Events 2010.

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13 Things About March 2010

Thursday Thirteen #105

March is just around the corner. Can you believe it? Here are some things headed your way next month.

13 Things About March 2010:
1. March is National Caffeine Awareness Month. How much caffeine do you take a day?
2. March 1-7 is Return the Borrowed Books Week. *ahem* *taps foot*
3. March 1 is National Pig Day. Be nice to a piggy today.
4. March 1-7 is also National Procrastination Week. (No, you can’t procrastinate with the Borrowed Book from #2.)
5. March is also National Umbrella Month. Celebrate this fabulous invention.
6. Ron Howard will turn 56 on March 1.
7. I Want You to Be Happy Day falls on March 3. So does What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day. I’m guessing that would make Dogs and Cats happy.
8. I have a couple of friends who would love to learn that March 4 is National Grammar Day.
9. Penn Jilette turns 55 on March 5.
10. March 8 is Fun Facts About Names Day. What does your name mean? Don’t know? Find out on March 10, which is Learn What Your Name Means Day. Middle Name Pride Day is March 12.
11. Micky Dolenz will turn 65 on March 8.
12. Chuck Norris will be giving 70 a good swift kick on March 10.
13. On March 7, I am starting a new job.

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Sites for the States of the Union (and DC)

States in the USA (and the Capital):
1. Alabama – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The Official Renaissance Faire of Alabama is the Florence Renaissance Faire.

2. Alaska – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Browse Alaska State Library’s Digital Photo Collection.

3. Arizona – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Check out the Arizona State Cartographer’s Office.

4. Arkansas – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Lots of nice photos to see in Arkansas.gov’s flickr account.

5. California – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
13 Things On The CA Sate Website

6. Colorado – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
…And some Colorado Weather Cams!

7. Connecticut – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Explore the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

8. Delaware – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Delaware has a Geocaching Trail.

9. District of Columbia – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Go on a Dan Brown inspired tour.

10. Florida – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The Official State Beverage of Florida is Orange Juice.

11. Georgia – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Check out some podcasts from Georgia Public Broadcasting.

12. Hawaii – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Want to move to Hawaii and need a job? Try the State job listings.

13. Idaho – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Send an Idaho e-Card.

14. Illinois – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Take a virtual tour of the Executive Mansion.

15. Indiana – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit the War Memorials.

16. Iowa – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
If you need a map of Iowa, they’ve got you covered.

17. Kansas – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Enjoy some online games for kids related to Kansas.

18. Kentucky – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Did you know? The State Drink of Kentucky is: Milk!

19. Louisiana – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Try out the Louisiana State Symbols Coloring Book.

20. Maine – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Watch some videos about the Maine State Parks.

21. Maryland – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The Maryland State Sport is: Jousting!

22. Massachusetts – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit Old Sturbridge Village. (It’s on my list.)

23. Michigan – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Enjoy the Michigan photo gallery.

24. Minnesota – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Go here to see an interactive map of the Capitol area.

25. Mississippi – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Planning to visit Mississippi? Find a library in the town you’re visiting.

26. Missouri – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit the Jesse James Farm and Museum.

27. Montana – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Have you visited Yellowstone yet?

28. Nebraska – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Track Nebraska Legislation here.

29. Nevada – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Learn about Women in Nevada History.

30. New Hampshire – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Need info about New Hampshire? Try the New Hampshire Almanac.

31. New Jersey – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Keep an eye on the Civil War Records Project.

32. New Mexico – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Find our more about Billy the Kid.

33. New York – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The official state muffin of New York is the Apple Muffin. Color a picture of one here.

34. North Carolina – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Have you been to the Biltmore? It’s beautiful.

35. North Dakota – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Send a postcard!

36. Ohio – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Go here for a guide to running for office in Ohio.

37. Oklahoma – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Send an Oklahoma e-card.

38. Oregon – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

39. Pennsylvania – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Tour the Pennsylvania State Capitol without leaving home.

40. Rhode Island – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Enjoy some fun facts about Rhode Island.

41. South Carolina – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Among the state symbols of South Carolina are the State Sword and State Mace.

42. South Dakota – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit the Buffalo in Custer State Park…from a safe distance.

43. Tennessee – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Visit the Tennessee Aquarium. It’s lovely.

44. Texas – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The official state vehicle is: the Chuck Wagon.

45. Utah – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Check out the official Utah Government iPhone apps.

46. Vermont – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Traveling to Vermont? Find a Farmer’s Market to visit.

47. Virginia – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Check out the YouTube Channels for the different Virginia governmental agencies.

48. Washington – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Planning a visit to Forks?

49. West Virginia – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
Try some Geocaching in West Virginia State Parks.

50. Wisconsin – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
The Wisconsin State Symbol of Peace is: the Mourning Dove.

51. Wyoming – (official site) – (official tourism site) –
This means something.

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Five Things for the Week – February 21-27, 2010

1. February 22 is Single-Tasking Day, a day to do one thing at a time.
2. Curling is Cool Day falls on February 23. Sweep!
3. National Chili Day is on February 25. I believe I’ll be celebrating with some Chili Cheese Fries.
4. On February 25, say Happy Birthday to: Sean Astin (39), Tea Leoni (44), and Sally Jessy Raphael (67).
5. For Pete’s Sake Day is February 26. Who is Pete, one wonders?

Source: Chases’s Calendar of Events 2010.

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Fictional worlds you would like to visit

Sometimes when you read, the setting of a book is so truly styled and inviting that you can’t help feeling you’d like to explore the place for yourself, hang out for a while with a beloved character, or like Alice stepping into the Looking-glass room, discover a reality beyond any you’ve yet imagined. Here are three of the places that I would like to step into given the chance. What about you?

Howard’s End, the house in E.M. Forster’s book of the same name.”It isn’t going to be what we expected. It is old and little, and altogether delightful…nine windows as you look up from the front garden. Then there’s a very big wych-elm–to the left as you look up–leaning a little over the house, and standing on the boundary between the garden and the meadow…”

Arundel Hall from The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. “Arundel cottage was not only yellow, it was the creamiest, butteriest yellow the Penderwicks had ever seen. It was all a cottage is supposed to be, small and snug, with a front porch, pink climbing roses, and lots of trees for shade…If possible the inside of the cottage was even more charming than the outside, all in pretty shades of blues and greens and with the comfortable kind of furniture too sturdy to damage unless you try…”

The Prince Edward Island of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. “The ‘Avenue,’ so called by the Newbridge people, was a stretch of road four or five hundred yards long, completely arched over with huge, wide-spreading apple-trees, planted years ago by an eccentric old farmer. Over head was one long canopy of snowy fragrant bloom. Below the boughs the air was full of a purple twilight and far ahead a glimpse of painted sunset sky shone like a great rose window at the end of a cathedral.”

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13 Mystery Spots

Thursday Thirteen #104

This Summer I fully plan to visit the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, CA. So, I thought that I would share a list of similar spots around the USA for you all to enjoy. Have you visited the one near you?

13 Mystery Spot-type Places:
1. Confusion Hill – Piercy, California
2. Mystery Spot – Santa Cruz
3. Big Mike’s Mystery House – Cave City, Kentucky
4. Mystery Spot – St. Ignace, Michigan
5. Paulding Lights – Watersmeet, Michigan
6. Montana Vortex and House of Mystery – Columbia Falls, Montana
7. Mystery Hill – Blowing Rock, North Carolina
8. Mystery Hill – Marblehead, Ohio (reportedly closing after the 2010 season)
9. The Oregon Vortex – Gold Hill, Oregon
10. Gravity Hill – New Paris, Pennsylvania
11. Cosmos Mystery Area – Rapid City, South Dakota
12. Wonder World Park – San Marcos, Texas
13. Mystery Hole – Ansted, West Virginia

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Centerville Library -The place to be!

Centerville  library  is small , and only open two  days  a week.  We are  always  a busy  place.   Last we had  a lot  of  extra fun.  Our  usual  week  includes two  staff story times, one story time  done by  teen  volunteers and our  Read  with me reading program every afternoon.  On Tuesday  we  added   a Valentine’s Day  Craft program  that  was  very well attended.

On Thursday it  was  even More Exciting .  Our  monthly kid’s  book  Club  had its first  author  visit.  Ms. Deborah  Grabien.  While Ms.  Grabien  has written  a number  of  books for adults , (  Rock  and  Roll  Never  Forgets  and   New  Slain  Knight  to name two) , Dark’s  Tale  is  her  first  book  for  younger  Readers ( ages 9 to  13 ) .  We discussed  her  book, the ecology  of  golden gate  park,  learned  about  writing , and the world Of  publishing.  Thanks  to  Egmont , (  a long  time children’s  publisher ,  just  starting to publish  in the US) , the book group got  copies  of  the book for  Ms. Grabien to sign and the kids  to keep. 

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Five Things for the Week – February 14-20, 2010

1. On February 14, sing Happy Birthday to: Hugh Downs (89), Florence Henderson (76), and Teller (of Penn and Teller) (62).
2. February 16 is International Pancake Day.
3. February 16 is also the birthday of: LeVar Burton (53), Christopher Eccleston (46), Ice T (51), and John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. (51). Have a good one, guys!
4. February 17 is My Way Day, a day to decide for yourself who you are.
5. And our final crop of Birthdays this week fall on February 18. The birthday folks this time are: Helen Gurley Brown (88), Matt Dillon (46), Toni Morrison (79), Juice Newton (58), Yoko Ono (77), Molly Ringwald (42), , Cybill Shepherd (60), John Travolta (55), and Vanna White (53).

Source: Chases’s Calendar of Events 2010.

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13 Things On the CA State Website

Thursday Thirteen #103

I was recently working on a list of Official State Websites (stay tuned next Wednesday for said list if you are interested) and it ocurred to me that it might be fun to surf around on the California State Website and see what kinds of interesting things I could find. Boy howdy. Check out what I found!

13 Things You Can Do With The Official California State Website:
1. Check out a list of free public WiFi Hot Spots.
2. Is “211” service available in your area? Check the N11 Service Directories.
3. Find and Compare schools in your area.
4. Worried about traffic? Check the Caltrans Live Traffic Cams.
5. Follow the state on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.
6. Try e-filing your State Tax Return.
7. Into statistics? Check out the state Demographics.
8. Enjoy podcasts? Try the one from the California State Parks Foundation or Flex Your Power.
9. Find out if the state is holding any Unclaimed Property for you here.
10. Planning a visit to someplace in California? You may need a map of the area.
11. California has an Official State Dance: West Coast Swing Dancing. (The State Folk Dance is Square Dancing.) You can find information about this and other official State Symbols here.
12.Lottery Results are always a popular item.
13. Check the lists of State Holidays and Furlough Fridays to find out if the State Agency you plan to visit is open on the day you were planning to be there.

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Snowpocalypse Recent

With thanks to JM over at WebTVHub, here is an idea of the sheer amount of snow to fall during the recent “Snowpocalypse”:

24 Inches in 24 Hours. Wow.

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